Ballet's leading beau takes on man from La Mancha

By Jo Roberts

March 23, 2007 — 11.00am

ETHAN Stiefel says he's "ready to rock'n'roll", which isn't a turn of phrase you'd expect from an international ballet star. But then again, the motorcycle and sports-mad Stiefel is not your average dancer.

The sandy-haired American has been rehearsing with the Australian Ballet since Monday — a day after arriving from New York, where he is a principal dancer with the American Ballet Theatre — before his much-anticipated debut with the company this weekend.

Stiefel will perform the lead role of Basilio, opposite the Australian Ballet's Rachel Rawlins as Kitri, in the company's production of Rudolf Nureyev's Don Quixote, which opened last Friday. Stiefel, 34, is performing just two shows in Melbourne, on Saturday and Tuesday, and three shows in the company's Sydney season.

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Rawlins, 33, might have been intimidated by Stiefel had she not met him in 2000 during her time with London's Royal Ballet, where he was also a guest. "I had a connection with him already, so that was nice," she says. Rawlins says Stiefel is blessed with "amazing natural talent, coupled with such amazing stage presence".

"He brings the performance alive. You can tell it's going to be great fun to perform."

Stiefel says he began dance classes "by default", after being made to tag along to his sister's classes. It wasn't until he was 14 that he began considering a dance career. "For many years I just enjoyed it, I didn't see it as a career," he says. "But I was a boy and I was talented, so I received a lot of encouragement, and with all those things, I just kept going with it."

While he's left designs on a football career behind, motorcycles remain a passion. Stiefel laughs when asked if he's been told to stay off motorcycles during his visit. "There hasn't been anything concrete … I have to be honest, it'd be great to get on a bike and head out," he says. "But until I get the first couple of shows done, I'm pretty busy either rehearsing, doing publicity or icing my knees."